Mr. Burlingame to Mr. Seward
No. 111.]
Legation of the United States,
Peking,
[without date, received
August 12, 1865.]
Sir: The enclosed communication of December 8,
1864, from the Chinese government, notifying me of the payment in full
of the indemnity for the claims of our citizens, has been detained for
the reports of the consul at Canton, and the depositary informing me of
the receipt of the money, and present position of the fund. The
liquidation of this indemnity is creditable to this government, and I
have now only the further duty to report to you the present condition of
the surplus as made out by the depositary. The account of Messrs.
Olyphant & Co. is enclosed, giving a summary of the receipts and
payments from the beginning, which is all that you require; and I
willingly add my most decisive testimony to their judgment, accuracy,
and diligence in the management of this fund during the six years which
have elapsed since payments began upon it.
With their account I also transmit the several vouchers for the payments
to the claimants and their individual receipts for the dividends paid to
them through the depositary; the lists and nature of the claims have
already been sent to the department by the commission of claims in 1860.
Since this commission closed its labors in January, 1860, and sent its
report to Washington, one case has come before me for payment which was
so clear that I could have no doubt about the propriety of paying it,
and have accordingly done so. It is the claim of the late Mr. Rooney,
formerly master of the bark Caldera, now proved by his brother and heir
to have been a naturalized citizen of the United States at the time of
his losses. I enclose copies of the documents necessary to illustrate
the case, which was the only claim filed in the legation up to December,
1859, that could not be decided by the commission. There is, therefore,
no other demand that can ever come up for payment out of this indemnity
fund which has not been examined and decided, and the act of Congress
approved March 3, 1859, has been fully carried out in every particular.
All that now remains is for the government to decide what shall be done
with the surplus, and I hope that the plans and suggestions respecting
this matter which I have made in previous despatches may meet with the
approval of the department.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
[Page 443]
Prince Kung, chief secretary of state for foreign affairs, herewith
makes a communication relating to the indemnity paid to American
merchants for their losses.
According to the arrangements made at Shanghai, in 3 858r it was agreed that the sum of 500,000 taels
should be paid for this purpose, the money to be obtained by
appropriating one-fifth of the receipts on imports, exports, and
tonnage dues, (derived from American trade,) in the proportion of
300,000 taels from Canton, and 100,000 taels each from Fuhchan and
Shanghai, which amounts were to be collected by successive
deductions until the whole was paid up.
By a despatch just received from the Imperial Commissioner Li, I am
informed “that the indemnity due to American merchants for losses
amounting to 500,000 taels, which began to be collected in February,
1859, by deducting one-fifth from the receipts on imports, exports,
and tonnage dues, (derived from American trade,) has now all been
paid up, in conformity to the original arrangement, by deducting
300,000 taels at Canton, and 100,000 taels, each, at Fuhchan and
Shanghai, and the debentures first issued have all been
returned.”
I have therefore the honor to inform your excellency of the above
despatch, that you may verify the facts stated of the completion of
the arrangement respecting the indemnity.
His Excellency Anson Burlingame, United States Minister.
December6, 1864,
(Tungchi, third year, eleventh moon, eighth
day.)
Olyphant & Co. to Mr. Burlingame
Sir: We have the honor to hand you herewith
a final statement of the “United States indemnity fund,” in account
with ourselves as receivers, by which you will note that we have
received from the Chinese government, as indemnity—
| Taels 500,000, representing |
|
$735,238 97 |
| Interest on current deposits of the above |
|
2,440 98 |
| Interest on special deposit |
|
3,040 00 |
| Amounting to |
|
740,719 95 |
| Out of which we have paid— |
| To claimants |
$489,694 78 |
|
| M. Rooney’s claim |
3,040 00 |
|
| Sundry charges |
894 18 |
|
| Our commission |
18,508 01 |
|
| And deposited in the Oriental Bank Corporation, at Hong
Kong, as per accompanying memorandum of receipts, marked
A. |
220,000 00 |
|
|
|
732,136 97 |
| Leaving a balance in our hands subject to your
order this date |
8,582 98 |
| We have also deposited, as per enclosed
memorandum of receipts, marked B, with the Oriental Bank
Corporation of* Hong Kong, the sum of |
$9,072 50, |
| The same being interest paid us by the Oriental
Bank Corporation on deposits, as per memorandum of receipts,
marked A; and further hold the special receipt, No, 13-134,
of that corporation for the sum of |
1,510 29 |
| Being amount of claim for flagstaff, and interest
on same to August, 1863. |
|
| There is, therefore, now in China, for account of
the United States government, viz: Cash in our hands, as per
account rendered herewith |
8,582 98 |
| Principal on deposit with the Oriental Bank
Corporation, Hong Kong |
220,000 00 |
| Interest on deposit with the Oriental Bank
Corporation |
9,072 50 |
| Amount of claim and interest for flagstaff on
deposit, Oriental Bank Corporation |
1,510 29 |
| Amounting to |
239,165 77 |
Of which sum the above-named deposits with the Oriental Bank
Corporation bear interest at the rate of five per cent, per annum,
and are held, as per receipts in our possession, subject to “the
order of the United States minister to China, or chief diplomatic
officer of the United States in China for the time being.”
Trusting your excellency will find the above accounts in order, we
have the honor to remain, sir, your most obedient servants,
His Excellency Hon. Anson Burlingame,
United States Minister to
China,&c.,&c.,&c.,
[Page 444]
A.
Memorandum of receipts held by the undersigned
for United States indemnity funds deposited with the Oriental
Bank Corporation, Hong Kong.
| Date. |
Number. |
Amount. |
| 1862.— |
April 16 |
12-80 |
$20,000 |
| May 31 |
12-101 |
40,000 |
| September 2 |
12-178 |
25,000 |
| 1863.— |
March 9 |
13-42 |
10,000 |
| Marçh 23 |
13-58 |
10,000 |
| May 13 |
13-87 |
20,000 |
| May 22 |
13-93 |
10,000 |
| June 16 |
13-110 |
10,000 |
| July 20 |
13-126 |
8,000 |
| December 21 |
13-222 |
15,000 |
| 1864.— |
April 18 |
14-75 |
7,000 |
| June 16 |
14-121 |
8,000 |
| October 28 |
14-202 |
37,000 |
|
|
|
220,000 |
B.
Memorandum of receipts held by the undersigned
for interest paid by and redeposited with the Oriental Bank
Corporation, Hong Kong, on account of the within named deposit
receipts.
| 1863. |
| Aug. 3, |
No. 13-135 |
for |
$1,000 00; |
being |
int. on |
receipt |
No. 12-80 |
for 1 year to |
Apr. 16, ’63. |
|
13-136 |
for |
2,000 00 |
“ |
“ |
“ |
12-101 |
“ |
May 31, ’63. |
| Dec. 22, |
No. 13-223 |
for |
1,250 00 |
“ |
“ |
“ |
12-178 |
“ |
Sept. 2, ’63. |
| 1864 |
| Ap’l. 20, |
No. 14-78 |
for |
500 00 |
“ |
int. on |
receipt |
No. 13-42 |
for 1 year to |
March 9, ’64. |
|
14-79 |
for |
500 00 |
“ |
“ |
“ |
13-58 |
“ |
“ 23,’64. |
| Oct. 12, |
No. 14-192 |
for |
3,822
50 |
“ |
“ |
sundry receipts as per accompanying
memorandum. |
|
9,072
50 |
|
| We also hold deposit receipt dated August 3, 1863, No.
13-134, for $1,510 29, being amount of claim for
flagstaff |
$1,429 48 |
| And interest to August 3, 1863 |
80 81 |
|
1,510
29 |
United States indemnity account in account with
Olyphant & Co., receivers.
Dr.
To payment of claims of American citizens, for losses sustained by
them in Canton, in 1856:
| First dividend paid |
$223,772 78 |
| Second dividend paid |
61,025 71 |
| Third dividend paid |
111,405 24 |
| Fourth dividend paid |
56,314 90 |
| Fifth dividend paid |
37,176
15 |
| Total amount paid by dividends |
489,694 78 |
| To total amount deposited in the Oriental Bank
Corporation in Hong Kong, to credit of United States
minister to China |
220,000 00 |
[Page 445]
| To paid Mr. Kooney’s claim by order of his
excellency Mr. Burlingame |
3,040 00 |
| Charges for collection—freight on Sycee received from
coast ports |
$494 88 |
|
| Dr. Williams’s order for printing |
232 56 |
|
| Dr. Williams’s order on treasurer received |
166
74 |
|
|
|
894 18 |
| Commission, two and a half per cent, on amount
collected as indemnity account, $740,720 35 |
18,508 01 |
| May 4, 1865. To balance in hands of receivers,
carried down |
8,582 98 |
|
740,719
95 |
Cr.
By total amount of indemnity money collected as follows:
| In Canton taels |
300,000 |
equal in dollars |
$445,748 07 |
| In Foochan taels |
100,000 |
“ |
139,936 55 |
| In Shanghai taels |
100,000 |
“ |
149,554
35 |
|
500,000 |
|
735,238 97 |
As per accounts rendered January 4, 1862, June 30, and August 19,
1863, and October 27, 1864:
| By interest allowed by mercantile bank on
deposits, as per our account rendered January 4, 1862 |
2,440 98 |
| By amount of interest collected from Oriental
Bank Corporation, Hong Kong |
3,040
00 |
| Total amount of collections |
740,719
95 |
| May 4, 1865. By balance brought down |
$8,582
98 |
Errors excepted.
Hong
Kong, May 4,
1865.
OLYPHANT &CO.
